AT&T: Tethering is probably going to be a 2010 thing
AT&T's iPhone tethering is something near and dear to my heart. In fact, I may or may not be writing this tethered to my iPhone on a train to New York City right now. We know tethering works on AT&T's network because frankly, we've been doing it using only Apple's software since the iPhone 3.0 betas have been out (and before using PDAnet). To keep tethering possible, all we've had to do is not update to 3.1 - which isn't that easy.
Tethering is really handy when travelling, or as a home back-up Internet connection when the cable/DSL is out. It works well on USB and slightly less well over Bluetooth, so long as AT&T has service in the area - which isn't always.
But AT&T, while encouraging tethering usage on Blackberries and other smartphones has delayed enabling it on the iPhone. We believed it was coming later this year, until we got a note from an AT&T spokeman. He told us to correct a post that said AT&T will be delivering tethering in 2009. Specifically, he said (his font color, not ours):
Just reading again – where did anyone promise tethering by EOY? Where did you see that? We promised MMS by end of summer and ended up being a few days late for that…
We don't have much to add, nor did he follow up on that statement, but by the look of it, we'd say those who hoped tethering may be enabled by Christmas might be getting some coal in their stockings. We could have sworn we'd heard AT&T Wireless CEO, Ralph de la Vega, promise it by year end. Here's why:
In August 2008, S.Jobs sent a note to a inquisitive customer saying [regarding tethering on the iPhone being important]:
We agree, and are discussing it with ATT.
Steve
Sent from my iPhone
CNET reported in November 2008 that:
AT&T Mobility chief Ralph de la Vega confirmed on Thursday that iPhone 3G users will be able to use their phones as wireless modems at some point next year. [this being 2008] De la Vega made the comments during a conversation with TechCrunch's Michael Arrington at the Web 2.0 Summit on Thursday....It's not clear when AT&T will roll out the tethering service; some point in 2009 appears to be the only stated time frame
That TechCrunch story was a little more vague:
In an interview with Michael Arrington at the Web 2.0 Summit, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph De La Vega let it be known that an official, AT&T sanctioned method of using the iPhone as a 3G modem for a laptop is on the way “soon”.
The real issue is semantics and the definition of the word "soon". CNET took "soon" to mean "within a year". Perhaps AT&T's wireless CEO meant soon, as in "Haley's Comet last came in 1988, it is due again soon".
Regardless, we'd love to be proven wrong on this one. What do you say AT&T? Can we all tether now?
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Comments (28)
NetShare baby!!!! for all you people out there that were not fast enough to get it, well Im sorry. I saw it for sell the second time apple allowed it and bought it right away=)
I believe the phrase is "epic fail," although this is AT&T we're talking about so perhaps it is expected.
Do you get the feeling that, now that they have gained a lot of subscribers via the iPhone, AT&T is TRYING to drive the low-margin, heavy-data-traffic iPhone users who will actually use what they pay for away in favor of the high-margin, light-data-traffic users? After all, if you want to jailbreak and leave AT&T, it really doesn't matter to them--they got their sale and pound of flesh with the early termination fee.
It reminds me of the Best Buy stories of trying to drive out customers who come in only for the "free after rebate" promo items.
I think Apple would have been better off buying wireless minutes and bandwidth from AT&T or T-Mobile wholesale and being its own wireless provider. Apple has shown that controlling both hardware and software (Mac and OS X) leads to a better user experience. Clearly, relying on a less-than-trustworthy partner (AT&T) to provide the same level of service available to other devices ALREADY ON ITS OWN NETWORK or available to the iPhone on other networks is not working out well for Apple.
I left my iPhone behind months ago and went back to a regular "dumb" phone. It may be a "dumb" phone, but if I were to get the $15 unlimited MediaNet data plan, I can tether via Bluetooth (already confirmed with AT&T and tested recently with my Air) and use Yahoo IM in the background (using a circa 2006 Motorola RAZR).
If you don't like at&t don't use them period. Stop bitching...
we dont have a choice genius. theyre holding iPhone users hostage and thats why everyone is upset.
no one is holding any one hostage. If you don't like AT&T don't get an iPhone. Otherwise, if you get an iPhone with AT&T you have nothng to bitch about.
When corporation like AT&T ass fucks you like there is no tomorrow and doesn't deliver the services they way they have promised in their pre-purchase marketing material then don't you think the consumers have right to bitch about it.
Sorry, but AT&T SUCKS!
that is all you came come up with? How about you suck more...
WHY? Why did Apple ever agree to let AT&T have the only rights to the iPhone. I don't know about you guys, but AT&T's coverage SUCKS where I am. Why do I have an iPhone then you ask. Because it is without a doubt; the great electronic device of our generation... PERIOD.. And I don't think anyone can deny that.
But, Apple.. PLEASE get us out of this AT&T nightmare. No more apps, upgrades, or OS's. We need MORE CARRIERS!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO MORE AT&T. Everyone can see it; they can't give us the service that the iPhone deserves...
Want unlimited service at a fraction of what the big 4 charge for the same- check it out Mobile service begins the week of the 19th. www.thecellularchoice.com Use your own phone too
I really hate AT&T.
Their network can't handle the data traffic now, so you know tethering is way off in the future.
Hate some AT&T
My boss had me drop tethering on his Verizon BlackBerry because he said that it sucked. It just wasn't reliable enough for his train commute.
If AT&T can't do it better, then they shouldn't bother.
They (AT&T) allow other phones to tether but not the iPhone? Why? The mechanics are the same.
I believe that the problem is not just their network, but a related problem, the price. People will be up in arms if it costs as much as a dedicated modem, and at that price it better work flawlessly.
I have my phone jailbroken so I can tether when i need it, and unlock it when my contract is up.
The smartphone market is heating up, so I expect to migrate to a much more user friendly network and phone in July of next year. It was a fun ride, but I long for the day of my WinMo phone that I could hack until I got tired of hacking it.
So, if nothing else is different then it has somethinig to do with Apple. Data is data unless something is different about the devices OS.
AT&T ALLOWS OTHER DEVICES TO TETHER ON THEIR NETWORK. EVEN THOUGH THE IPHONE IS CONSIDERED BY SOME TO BE A BANDWIDTH HOG, IT DOES NOT USE UP MORE OR LESS BANDWIDTH THAN ANY OTHER DEVICE WHILE TETHERING. THE CHEAPEST PIECE OF JUNK OR THE IPHONE USES THE SAME BANDWIDTH DURING A TETHERING SESSION
your usage of capital letters makes us (readers) think you are too angry... if that's the case, we (readers) tell you Take It Easy Dude!
Point 1: Individual iPhone devices generally "consume" the same bandwidth as other devices.
Agreed.
Point 2: However, the sum total of bandwidth consumed by iPhone users likely greatly exceeds the sum total of bandwidth used by the population of other handhelds.
From a capacity planning point of view, Point 1 is irrelevant. Point 2 is not.
by the by this is one reason to either 1) jailbreak or 2) don't update to 3.1 (many are out of luck as downgrading is a pain). Personally i love tethering when i need it (although it's not that often). i also worry about AT$T making tethering more expensive on a plan. The iPhone plan is already expensive and just adding things to cost more money would be a disaster IMO. Lastly i do support the fact that AT$T should open up tethering before the year is out just because it's the right thing to do and because many do not like the concept of jailbreaking or not updating. but hey when verizon or another carrier gets the iPhone AT$T will just have to watch as customers switch without a second thought....
I don't live in the U.S, in fact, I live in Chile and here we were able to use tethering which was awesome... until damn apple released the 3.1 software update without working that it'll delete tethering option...
any of you know a way to get tethering back?? how do I do downgrade?? is there other option?
thanks
Wow...i thought i was the only one out there that didnt upgrade from 3.0 to 3.1 just to keep tethering. I really dont see the point of upgrading to 3.1 anyways....doesnt really offer any more features. Maybe mms? which i dont care much about...
I will be sticking with 3.0 as long as i can, which basically wont be past 3rd gen iphone :-( since those will be preloaded with the latest software sans "free" tethering hack.
Does anyone know if its ok to update to the latest itunes without losing tethering? (which keeping Iphone OS 3.0 of course)
I am using 3.0.1 with tethering. 3.1 or higher and your out of luck for tethering for now. I did update to iTunes 9 with no affect on my tethering abilities. Btw mms is updated with a carrier update not specifically the 3.1 update. If you do update (lose tethering for now) 3.1.2 fixes a lot of bugs in 3.0 and 3.1.
So yea, I did what all the other suckers did and upgraded to 3.1... and what do you know my perfectly wonderful tethering was GONE!! and then after months of following news lines and asking several AT&T reps.. all I get is uh.. *cough* err well we're working on it.. *cough* ehem.. uhh.. "someday" "maybe" basically, I really wish AT&T would do SOMETHING in a timely manner.
Now I'm FAR from dumping my iPhone, I'd probably die without it in a few minutes, but it is enough to get me pissed when my old piece of crap RAZR can tether just fine and my state of the art big dollar handheld supercomputer can't even do that. I mean yea, I can get online to check email and such on the phone.. but seriously every now and then I'd like to hook up to my laptop and use a real keyboard.. maybe do a little video chat.. anything with flash online (another downfall of apple/AT&T, no flash support) anyway.. I've ranted enough.. but seriously AT&T get it right.
haha oops sorry my internet went berzerk and posted like a bunch of the same post.. haha ;)
AT&T sucks so bad that I smell there bullshit all the way from my house.
Tethering on the G1 is sweet
You can still tether even if you have upgraded to the new firmware once you jailbreak. If you jailbreak for just one reason tethering more than covers it. Once you've freed your phone from those annoying limitations just go to cydia and download my-wifi or modem.
There is a fantastic complaint letter posted at http://www.lionfishpictures.com/2009/11/i-have-had-it-with-at.html
Everyone should copy it and mail it to AT&T.